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Cosmetic and
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dentistry

Smile Makeover During Pregnancy

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I was planning on getting a smile makeover but just found out I’m pregnant. Can I go through with it or do I need to wait?

Avery

Dear Avery,

A woman smiling with a beauttiful smile

Congratulations on your upcoming blessing. Babies are the best. Whether or not you can go forward with treatment depends on a couple of things. The first is what procedures you were planning. The second is whether or not you’re in a high-risk category in your pregnancy.

Let’s start with the procedures.

Teeth Whitening

Getting your teeth whitened hasn’t been officially cleared for pregnant women. It’s not because there is evidence of it doing harm to the baby, it is because we’ve had no tests to say it doesn’t do harm. As you can imagine, there aren’t a lot of women lining up to have their unborn child be a test subject.

I’m sure you can find a dentist to do it for you. Just make sure you understand the risks. By that I mean we don’t yet know the risks.

Invisalign

These are clear aligners you wear over your teeth to straighten them. It’s perfectly safe to use during pregnancy. However, if you are prone to morning sickness and vomiting, you may find this an inconvenient time to straighten your teeth. The aligners have to be worn almost full-time, with the obvious time exceptions being during meals.

Vomiting will mean thoroughly cleaning out the aligners so you don’t get stuck with anything acidic in them. This will lead to massive decay.

Porcelain Veneers

Porcelain veneers are a safe procedure, even during pregnancy. The only chemical used would be the Lidocaine which is used for numbing during tooth preparation. Lidocaine is one of the medicines which has been FDA approved as safe to use during pregnancy. It’s even sometimes used during the delivery process.

The only cautionary tale I’d offer here is to make sure you see an expert cosmetic dentist or you will be disappointed with your smile makeover results.

All that being said, if you are in a high-risk pregnancy group, you’ll need to scrap everything I just said and talk to your obstetrician and get clearance on everything first. There will likely be special considerations.

Best of luck to you and your baby.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Porcelain Veneers During Pregnancy

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I’ve been saving up for a smile makeover for years. Now, when I finally have the full amount I needed I find out I’m pregnant. Is it safe for me to go forward with this or do I need to wait until after delivery?

Madison

Dear Madison,

A single porcelain veneer being placed

While there are some procedures which are not recommended in the first trimester, such as teeth whitening, porcelain veneers should be quite safe. The concern is about introducing chemicals to the baby. With porcelain veneers, the only thing you have to worry about is the anesthetic used. Fortunately, lidocaine has been tested and proved safe for use during pregnancy and even delivery. You and your baby should be fine.

Who Should Do Your Porcelain Veneers?

There is another important consideration— who should do your smile makeover. This isn’t a skill taught in dental school, nor is there a recognized specialty where dentists become graduates in the field. Instead, dentists with an interest in cosmetic dentistry have to take the initiative to get the proper training post-doctorally.

This makes it a little challenging for patients. How can they separate the sheep from the goats, so to speak? The easiest way to handle this is to find an AACD accredited dentist in a reasonable distance to you. These dentists have been tested vigorously for both their technical knowledge and their artistic ability and are among the top 1% of cosmetic dentists in the country.

They will give you a stunning smile.

If you can’t find an accredited dentist without a significant amount of travel, which you’re probably not keen on while pregnant, you still have options.

The mynewsmile.com website also recommends excellent cosmetic dentists. Not all of them have reached accreditation, but they’ve all been carefully screened for their ability to do beautiful smile makeovers. Most are on their way to accreditation.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Crowns for Chipped Tooth

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I’m not sure what to do and need some advice. I tripped and ended up chipping one of my front teeth. It’s not a huge chip, but it bothers me. My sister told me that dentists can fix chipped teeth even if you don’t have the broken piece. I went in to see my dentist. While he did say he could fix it, he said the solution would be for him to crown my two front teeth. I’m not too keen on that, especially because the other tooth is fine. When I asked him why both teeth, he said so that they could match. While I get that they need to match, it feels stupid to grind down two healthy teeth. I’m worried I’m letting my vanity get in the way of sensibility. What do you think? Crown the teeth or live with a small chip?

Elaine

Dear Elaine,

While I am sure your dentist is trying to do his best for you, I’m going to recommend you see someone else to repair this chipped tooth. Many dentists need to do two crowns on front teeth to match them, however, there are great cosmetic dentists who can match a single crown. If a crown were the right course of action, then another dentist could do the treatment just on one tooth.

The easiest way to find a highly skilled cosmetic dentist is to look on the website of the American Academy of Cosmetic Dentistry (aacd.com). They have a link to help patients find a cosmetic dentist. However, you want one who has reached the accreditation level. AACD accredited dentists are the top cosmetic dentists in the country. Any one of them can match a single porcelain crown to a front tooth.

All that being said, you really don’t even need a crown on the one tooth let alone two. Yes, a crown will cover the chip, but there are much less aggressive ways to repair it.

Dental Bonding for Chipped Teeth

before and after dental bonding

Dental bonding is the standard treatment for a chipped tooth.

The standard treatment for this is to have dental bonding placed on the tooth. This uses a composite resin which a cosmetic dentist will sculpt freehand onto the tooth. I wouldn’t push your family dentist to do this. It is obviously not a procedure he is familiar with and it would take some technical skill along with artistry to do it right.

Instead, I would find an excellent cosmetic dentist and have them do the procedure. You won’t have to completely switch dentists. You can still go to your family dentist for everything else,

There is a cosmetic consideration here (aside from the chipped tooth). Whatever color your dentist makes your bonding is permanent. If you are even considering having teeth whitening done on your teeth, it will save you money to do that before you have your bonding done.

Otherwise, your natural tooth structure will whiten but not your bonding. Then you’ll have to have the bonding re-done to match the newer color.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Should I Get a Second Opinion from a TMJ Specialist?

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I mentioned to my dentist that I wish my teeth were whiter. He mentioned because I have two crowns, I’d need to get those re-done first to match. He also looked closer at all my teeth and said my bite is off which means I have TMJ and need to get all the teeth crowned to fix it. This seems a bit excessive to me. Plus, it really surprised me to hear my bite was off. I had braces in my middle school years and didn’t feel like anything had changed since then. I’m thinking I should get a second opinion. What do you think?

Carla

Dear Carla,

Woman in pain with TMJ

I’m a little concerned with what I’m hearing. Let’s start with the teeth whitening. You don’t crown teeth to whiten them. Yes, you have a couple of crowns and they will have to be re-done to match but that will be AFTER your teeth are whitened. Not before. Otherwise, how will he know what shade of white to make them?

Now, about this crowning every tooth. This is called a full-mouth reconstruction and is usually reserved for more severe TMJ Cases. You haven’t mentioned any symptoms of TMJ Disorder. Without that, you should have serious doubts about this recommendation.

TMJ Symptoms

  • Jaw Pain
  • Popping in Your Jaw
  • Clicking in Your Jaw
  • Migraines, especially in the morning
  • Teeth Grinding or clenching

See a TMJ Dentist

I agree you need a second opinion. There isn’t a recognized specialty in TMJ Disorder. As such, there aren’t really any TMJ “Specialists”. However, there are dentists who have invested a great deal of time in studying TMJ Disorder and the different treatment options. Treatment is determined by first finding the underlying cause.

You want a dentist who has studied TMJ and occlusion at one of the reputable post-doctoral schools, such as The Dawson Academy, the Las Vegas Institute of Advanced Dental Studies, and The Kois Center.

Dentists who’ve studied at one of these schools are qualified to help diagnose your problem and come up with a good treatment. Most dentists prefer to start with the most conservative treatments first to see if that solves it before delving into something as invasive (and expensive) as a full-mouth reconstruction.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Solutions for a Tooth Gap

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I have a tooth gap which is really starting to bother me the older I get. I’m looking into solutions and wanted to opinion of a cosmetic dentist.

Ben

Dear Ben,

woman smiling with a tooth gap
There are several solutions for a gapped tooth

When you have a gapped tooth, there are three great solutions. Which you choose depends on what you’re going for with the rest of your smile.

Solution One: Invisalign

Invisalign Aligner
Invisalign Aligner

If you want to truly close the gap, you can use orthodontics. It’s no longer necessary for patients to wear unsightly and painful wire and metal braces. These days adults (and teens) prefer Invisalign. It uses clear aligners to straighten your teeth.

It has a secret benefit of allowing you to simultaneously whiten your teeth at the same time. Your dentist can provide you with the teeth whitening gel and the aligners will double as the trays.

Solution Two: Dental Bonding

before and after dental bonding

You can see from this case which Dr. Weiss did the gap is completely closed. He also reshaped her whole smile at the patients request. When done by a skilled cosmetic dentist dental bonding blends perfectly and looks completely natural.

You don’t have to have bonding done on the entire smile as this patient did. It can just close the gap. It can be matched to whatever color your teeth are. If you’re happy with the whiteness, just do the bonding. If you’d like them a little whiter, first whiten them, then have the bonding done after that is completed.

Solution Three: Porcelain Veneers

porcelain veneer being placed on a tooth
Porcelain Veneers

This is only a useful option if you’re unhappy with other aspects of your smile. Porcelain veneers can change everything about your smile.— the shape, the size, the color.

This is the go-to procedure for a complete smile makeover. It can give you the smile of your dreams. However, I would consider it an expensive over-treatment if all you want to do is close a tooth gap.

This blog is brought to you by Philadelphia Cosmetic Dentist Dr. Michael Weiss.

Tooth Whitening Has Always Been Popular

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The most popular Cosmetic Dentistry technique in the world is tooth whitening, but teeth bleaching certainly isn’t new, in fact, for thousands of years, people all over the planet resorted to some pretty unpleasant tactics when it came to their pearly whites.

The ancient Egyptians used ground pumice and wine vinegar to make a paste to whiten teeth while the ancient Romans preferred human urine. In the 16 th century, barbers got into the act adding tooth whitening to the mix. After a shave and a haircut, barbers would file down clients teeth before soaking with acid. This worked quite well for tooth whitening, but because this method of tooth whitening took the enamel as well, tooth decay was the price one had to pay for tooth bleaching.

These days, thanks to modern Cosmetic Dentistry, you do not have to do what your ancestors did to get that million-dollar smile. Over the counter tooth whitening products account for millions of dollars in sales every year, but because those products are made for the masses, you may not be getting the results that you should.

Talk to your Cosmetic Dentist in East Montgomery County about Venus® Teeth Whitening. Available from Dr. Michael Weiss this chair side tooth bleaching system could give you that movie star smile or natural smile that you always wanted.

Venus® Teeth Whitening is an in office treatment that is fast, effective and affordable. All it usually takes is just one in office treatment and subsequent at home bleaching sessions with your take-home tooth whitening kit to give you your new smile.

Your actual tooth whitening appointment starts with the application of a special hydrogen peroxide gel to your teeth. Almost immediately your teeth. Great care is taken so there is very little tooth sensitivity or discomfort.

Although your teeth are ready for a night out on the town, it does not stop there. Your Cosmetic Dentist, Dr. Weiss and his caring team will supply you with a tooth whitening kit so that you can maintain your new smile in the comfort of your home. All you have to do is fill your custom whitening trays with a special whitening gel and wear them for a set amount of time to keep your new gorgeous smile white and bright.

Stop wasting your money on over the counter tooth whitening products and schedule an appointment for Venus® Teeth Whitening with Dr. Weiss today.